The present invention relates to a rubber solution and rubber concrete using the same, and more particularly, to a rubber solution prepared by dissolving vulcanized rubber in an appropriate solvent and rubber concrete manufactured by using the same.
In recent times, refuse such as waste rubber, especially tires, is on the rise as a pollutant worldwide. Particularly, research into the reuse of waste tires has been continuously carried out, but there has yet been no appropriate usage found. So far, waste tires have been applied as bumpers for ships, as a filler for new rubber in a finely pulverized form, used as a fuel through incinerating, which is known as the most economical method or reused as a raw material for the tire plasticized through heat or chemical treatment processes.
In a Korean patent (No. 82-665 to Bridgestone Kabushiki Kaisha), a method for using a waste tire as a fuel in a cement kiln instrument is described.
Although the confronting pollution problem due to waste tires could be solved by using the tires as a heat source through firing, this is not a preferred method when considering the environment. For example, when the waste tire is fired as a heating source, a secondary pollutant such as harmful gases like SO.sub.2, NO.sub.2, Cl.sub.2, etc. as well as an offensive odor are produced, which greatly contributes to air pollution.
The reproduction method of the waste tire is comprised of mixing pulverized waste rubber by means of mechanical energy or thermal energy and processing the mixture to change the rubber into a state in which cross-links could be made. That is, the network structure of the rubber is broken to shorten the chain length, and new double bonds are formed to possibly make new cross-links.
In Popular Science, October 1994, 83p, the following techniques are disclosed.
First, Titan Technology of Albuquerque, N.M. Co. in America discloses a method for extracting oil from the waste tires at high temperature of about 450.degree. F. using inorganic or organic catalyst and recovering carbon black and ash from the residue. The obtained oil is actually shortened carbon chain.
Also, Avraam I. Isayev at Akron University in America discloses a method for obtaining highly viscous fluid like bread dough by treating the waste tires at high temperature of about 450.degree. F. and exposing to ultrasound of about 2,000 cycles. However, the obtained material is not a solution, this method is not a way to get solution from waste tire, but one of the ways to devulcanized waste rubber, thus just endow plasticity to rubber.
Requirement on the method for completely dissolving the vulcanized rubber using a solvent is gradually increased.
Meanwhile, concrete made of portland cement, which is the most common material in use in the civil engineering and construction industry, is widely used owing to its good characteristics and diverse usage. However, this type of concrete needs much improvement because of such drawbacks as low tenacity, low pliability, and poor durability.